I am still truly awestruck after finishing this film. It feels like something that transcends so much of what you typically expect. It feels so grand, so epic, but still so incredibly human. The final act has the raw atmosphere and power of some of the largest-scale war scenes in cinema, while ultimately being about 40 bandits versus a village of farmers and the titular seven samurai.
The intensity of the war screams, the expressions of fear on each and every extra, and the light-hearted comedic moments throughout create a true sense of impending doom while also building a cast of characters who, despite their flaws, you can’t help but root for. There are so many stories within this MASSIVE film, and each is enthralling. The relationships are captivating, and the way the film explores the class tensions which are swiftly put aside in pursuit of survival is superb.
When you see the film’s runtime, you might be fooled into thinking there is fat to be trimmed, but that is simply not the case. This is an incredibly grand story that deserves every minute. Each performance feels so alive and expressive. At the beginning, I was caught slightly off guard by how expressive and theatrical the performances are, but by the end, I was completely entranced. The at-times goofy antics of a character like Kikuchiyo never broke my immersion. In fact, he was the character that absolutely stole the show for me. While not technically a samurai, he truly earned his role in the team and brought a smile to my face in every scene he was in.
There were some aspects of the film I didn’t really enjoy or feel added to the story, but this is such an incredible film that they get lost instantly in what is otherwise a masterpiece. I found the subplot of Rikichi and his kidnapped wife interesting, but I was surprised by how the film dealt with the aftermath of her death. When he sees her in the building and she runs back in after seeing her husband, I was intrigued to see how his character would progress. My assumption is she did this out of shame, perhaps, or a rejection of the idea that she could return to her old life. After this, you can see a true rage in him which results in him killing multiple bandits. But after this scene, we really don’t see him much again until the very end when he is singing. I understand the final fight scene was so chaotic it was unlikely to tie up every peasant’s storyline, but for that specific one, I was expecting something more substantial.
A truly unforgettable experience, CINEMATIC in every sense of the word. It is abundantly clear why this is widely considered one of the all-time great films.
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